State of Montana Newsroom
Governor Gianforte Names Members of Unleashing American-Made Energy Task Force
HELENA, Mont. – Less than a week after launching his Unleashing American-Made Energy Task Force, Governor Greg Gianforte today announced the 20 members he has appointed to the task force.
“Montana’s future and the prosperity of our people require access to affordable and reliable energy. Just as important, our nation’s security requires us to be not only energy independent, but also energy dominant,” Gov. Gianforte said. “We must take steps today to ensure a brighter, more certain future for our state and our nation. With our abundant energy resources and outstanding potential, Montana can and should play a key role in unleashing our American-made energy.”
“I’m grateful to each member of our Unleashing American-Made Energy Task Force for their willingness to step forward and develop solutions to chart Montana’s energy future,” Gov. Gianforte said. “I appreciate each member’s unique perspective, and I look forward to what they’ll accomplish together.”
The governor created the task force through an executive order, and charged its members with providing recommendations the legislature could consider, and the governor could sign into law to unleash American-made energy in Montana.
Sonja Nowakowski, director of the Department of Environmental Quality, will chair the task force, and Marta Bertoglio, director of the Department of Commerce, will serve as vice chair.
State agency leaders, legislators, local officials, association representatives, economists, researchers, and stakeholders make up the task force. Members include:
Sonja Nowakowski, task force chair and director of the Department of Environmental Quality
Marta Bertoglio, task force vice chair and director of the Department of Commerce
Sen. Chris Pope (D-Bozeman), vice chair of the 2025 Senate Energy, Technology & Federal Relations Committee, member of the Energy and Technology Interim Committee
Rep. Gary Parry (R-Colstrip), chair of the 2025 House Energy, Technology & Federal Relations Committee, member of the Energy and Technology Interim Committee
Shannon L. Brown, managing director for west operations for Talen Energy
Mike Cashell, vice president - transmission for NorthWestern Energy
John Chesser, chief executive officer and co-founder of Quantica
Sarah Clerget, of counsel attorney with Holland & Hart
Rob Corbin, senior vice president of energy development for Sabey Data Centers
Sean Farrell, chief operating officer for TeraWulf Inc.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, executive director of development for NextEra Energy Resources
Joe Geiger, director of generation at Montana-Dakota Utilities
Spencer Gray, executive director of the Northwest & Intermountain Power Producers Coalition (NIPPC)
Travis Kavulla, vice president of regulatory affairs at NRG and former commissioner on the Montana Public Service Commission
Mark Lambrecht, CEO of Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association
Dan Lloyd, senior manager of community relations at Grid United
Bob Morris, Lance Energy Chair at Montana Technological University
Ed Rihn, president at CEO at BHE Canada
Andrew Schneider, U.S. energy manager at GCC
Kate Wilson, Montana liaison for the Bonneville Power Administration
The task force will hold its first meeting on September 22 and will produce a written report with recommendations and strategies by September 15, 2026.
Gov. Gianforte’s executive order to create the Unleashing American-Made Energy Task Force may be viewed here.